Fralin Unbucker v. Seymour Duncan P-Rails

[DTuned]

Is anyone familiar with both of these pickups?

Says Fralin:
In our Unbucker, we wind the screw coil stronger than the slug coil. This makes the pickup sound a little more single coil, but the best reason to do this is for coil tapping. When tapped the stronger coil is active as opposed to half a pickup. Our best selling set of these is 7.5K neck (4.5-3) and 8.5 Bridge (5-3.5) 3 conductor lead with a Vintage Hot reverse middle in-between. (Humb.-single-Humb.).
Combining the two coils gives a total ohm reading or approximate output to compare to normal humbuckers.

Says SeymourDuncan about the P-Rails:
Ground breaking, patent pending design allows a full-size humbucker to split to either a “real deal” P-90 or a traditional single coil.
It’s a full-size humbucker that splits to either a full-size P-90 or a special Alnico-powered single-coil Rail pickup. The humbucker sound is full and expansive, owing to the mis-matched coil configuration. The P-90 is a super fat. And the Rail coils, when used together, sound like the “2” and “4” positions in a great Stra

Obviously, Fralin doesn’t claim to do the P-90 thing. They’re not perfect head-to-head competitors, but both use mismatched coil configurations to try and create high quality humbucker and single coil tones in one pickup. Factoring in versatility and tone quality, which one do you like the best, and why?

[Tone_Terrific]

Originally Posted by DTuned

Obviously, Fralin doesn’t claim to do the P-90 thing. They’re not perfect head-to-head competitors, but both use mismatched coil configurations to try and create high quality humbucker and single coil tones in one pickup. Factoring in versatility and tone quality, which one do you like the best, and why?

FWIW, DiMarzio has some runners in the field with mismatched coils, too.

[Tonefreak1527]

p-rails kill all!!!

[Deathmonkey]

I have a set of Unbuckers in a Goldtop Carvin CT. They're interesting. Even in full 'bucker mode, they sound very single coil. So if you're looking for fat PAF sound that splits, I'd look elsewhere. But if you're a single coil person looking for a bit more power and no hum, they're pretty cool. I find them a bit thin, but with a lot of spank and detail.

[jimlp]

Originally Posted by Tonefreak1527

p-rails kill all!!!

what do they sound like in humbucker mode? Can you compare them to any humbuckers?

[BPSUL]

P-Rails are totally different than the others mentioned. They have a separate P90 and Rail together. Separate as in separate mags and everything...

when you split a humbucker you get "something kinda like" a single coil. When you split a P-Rail you get a true single coil (rail or P90)

[BPSUL]

... And to answer your other question, yes it is a humbucker when both are run together. Just like any other bucker, the sound is shaped by the mag type, wire, windings, and in the case of many boutique pickups, the mismatched windings of the 2 coils. The guys at the SD forums mod them just like any other humbucker with mag swaps and unlike other humbuckers the even utilize different mags for an unbalanced mag type of mod that is not possible with normal buckers.

They rock - and IMO the are the greatest invention in electric guitars in many many years. A real score for seymour Duncan to own the patent.

[DTuned]

Originally Posted by Deathmonkey

I have a set of Unbuckers in a Goldtop Carvin CT. They're interesting. Even in full 'bucker mode, they sound very single coil. So if you're looking for fat PAF sound that splits, I'd look elsewhere. But if you're a single coil person looking for a bit more power and no hum, they're pretty cool. I find them a bit thin, but with a lot of spank and detail.

That kinda sounds like a P-90.

[Mark C]

I have both and they're really not very much alike, although both are very cool pickups. For pure versatility the P Rails win hands down. The P90 tones are pretty much spot on, the strat tones are a little weak, but better than almost any other split coil pickup. The series humbucker tones are kind of like a hot-rod modern humbucker, and the parallel humbucker tones are nice and chimey.

If you want a vintage PAF type tone with some extra versatility, then the Fralins are great. There are many PAF type tones, the Fralins sound like those Les Pauls that have a little bit of telecaster bite to them. When split, they're kinda stratty, but but a true strat fan won't want to get rid of their strat. I have mine set up with coil split and a reverse phase switch - they do a great job of getting Peter Green type tones in the middle position.

[andrekp]

I can't compare, as I only have the Unbuckers, but FWIW I love the Unbuckers. Really nice vintage PAF type tone. Almost delicate in their articulation at times I think. (I have them in an SG). Split, they sound very nice and somewhat strat-like. (It'd be interesting to hear what they sound like in a HH Strat or Tele)

Note, however, that they come in both a three-wire and four-wire configuration. Both can be split, but you need the four-wire if you want to series/parallel the individual pickup. (I use a three-wire set).

[andrekp]

I can't compare, as I only have the Unbuckers, but FWIW I love the Unbuckers. Really nice vintage PAF type tone. Almost delicate in their articulation at times I think. (I have them in an SG). Split, they sound very nice and somewhat strat-like. (It'd be interesting to hear what they sound like in a HH Strat or Tele)

Note, however, that they come in both a three-wire and four-wire configuration. Both can be split, but you need the four-wire if you want to series/parallel the individual pickup. (I use a three-wire set).

[baimun]

I had P-Rails installed in the following guitar with the tone knob replaced to be a 5 way rotary that switches the two pickups between series humbuckers, parallel humbuckers, P90's, and rail singles.



I loved the P90 sounds. They could change from vintage to hot attitude with a little roll of the volume knob.

The rail sounds were more Tele sounding than strat to me. Had an edge or bark to them... not sweet like a strat.

Ironically, the parallel humbucking was the best strat replication... very chimey and usable.

My least favorite sound was the series humbucker. They were overly dark and hot for my tastes. If you like super hot Dimarzio sounds then you might like them, but if you're looking for any kind of clarity with your beef, it just wasn't there.

I sold them on Ebay and came up with a different project using my same wiring diagram, but I'm going to "Out-P-Rail" Duncan using 2 Quarter Pound singles and 3 Eric Johnson Strat coils in a PRS 513 kind of arrangement.

[jeffbelch]

I had an Unbucker in my PRS McCarty. It actually gets the best single coil sound I've heard out of a split humbucker. When used as an hb, it still has some single coil characteristics, but substantially thicker...a little more low end and less bite...but still not quite as thick as even a P90. I didn't keep it because I prefer a more traditional humbucker sound, but it's a great pickup nonethess.

Gorgeous guitar, by the way...